Titans need to ‘Just Win Baby!’ come Friday night

GRANITE COUNTY – When the Flint Creek Titans take the field Friday night in Drummond it will be more than just another senior night. It will be for the postseason.

Yes, the odds are distinctly in their favor.

Yes, they hold the tie-breakers over the two teams they are tied with.

But in the end, the only way to take all of the questions marks out of the equation is to, as Al Davis put it, “Just win baby!”

Victor is arguably on the bottom of 8-man football this year. The Pirates are 0-8 and have scored just 50 points (6 PPG) while giving up 434 (54 PPG). Their closest loss was against Troy (lost 42-18) to give the Trojans their only victory of the season.

So is it possible that the Titans could be looking past the visiting Pirates?

“Of course it’s possible,” said Titans Head Coach Mike Cutler. “When you’ve got kids you just never know. The fact is we’ve just gotta play. I think they’ve (Titans) been through enough this year that they know that they’re not just gonna walk through anyone.”

Victor Head Coach Darren Gossett is not unaware of the mismatch believes his team will be motivated to play, regardless of the potential outcome.

“Hey, it’s Flint Creek. They’re a good team and that should be enough,” Gossett said of his team’s motivation. “They go ‘til the final play. They don’t quit. We’ve got nothing to lose and so we’ll go and play hard.”

Postseason Scenarios

Flint Creek is 4-3 in Western Conference play, tied with Darby and Seeley Swan. The Titans hold the tie breaker over both clubs so even if all three win, the locals have the edge. That could be tough for the Tigers and Blackhawks as they face the Clark Fork and Thompson Falls, respectively.

The lone scenario that could cost Flint Creek a postseason slot is if they lose and Plains wins (again while Darby and Seeley both lose), then a tie breaker looking at Points Allowed Against Common Opponents would be used. Going into the final week of the season the Herdsmen lead the Titans 237-238.

Senior Night

The game at Drummond will mark Senior Night for Flint Creek. Seniors Wyatt Rigby, Daniel Brabender and Conley Wagner will be honored for their commitment to the program. Rigby and Brabender have been integral components of the Titans this season, with Wagner having been injured in the season opener against Clark Fork.

NOTES – In five previous meetings Flint Creek is 5-0, with the closest game coming in 2016 when the Titans won 44-36. …

Flint Creek enters the game having won 19 consecutive home games dating back to September 30, 2016 when they beat the Pirates 44-36. … Tucker Weaver remains sidelined for the Titans, while Rigby will return after a week off due to a concussion protocol. … A win by Flint Creek would put them into the postseason for the sixth straight season since the creation of the co-op in 2014.